Players, coaches want Lidstrom to come back

--Wings players and Coach Mike Babcock are turning up the pressure on F Nicklas Lidstrom to return next season, telling the 41-year-old defenseman shouldn't miss out on the opportunity to play before an anticipated world-record crowd of 115,000 at the 2013 Winter Classic at Michigan Stadium, when the Wings host Toronto. Lidstrom said he will decide on his future after the season. "He'll be back," Babcock said. "He's too good to quit and our team's too good."

--F Dan Cleary had 20 CCs of fluid drained from his left knee Thursday and later that day received a cortisone shot. Two Baker's cysts in the back of the knee were bothering him for some time. Cleary will miss the next two games (Sunday vs. Philadelphia and Tuesday vs. Dallas.) Cleary was hoping to put it off until later this month, when there is a slight break in the schedule (one game in five days from Feb. 26-March 1), but it got to a point where he couldn't tolerate the pain and discomfort.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"I thought his game tonight was the best. We haven't needed him like we did tonight. But I thought today he was big and square and out and confident. He looked like a real goaltender for us. So that's real positive for us. These are big points you're getting. He was going against real good shooters and held his ground." -- Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock on goaltender Joey McDonald.

Copyright (C) 2012 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.